Raiders were previously allowed to carry one of three different pistols, but with this new announcement, only the 9 mm Glock 19 can be taken into a fight.

Mannweiler said that the 9mm was chosen over the Colt 1911 for several reasons including that it is much cheaper to have only one sidearm as to having the choice of three.

It based on lessons learned in our operations, we also took into consideration how well a round could penetrate objects of varying densities and in different environmental conditions,” Mannweiler said. “We concluded that a 9mm round suited our needs.”

Since 2015, MARSOC purchased 1,654 Glock 19s because Raiders needed a sidearm “that could be used for both a concealed carry profile and a low-visibility profile,” Mannweiler said.

Marine Spec Ops are not the only ones who have made the move to the 9mm handgun. The FBI awarded Glock an $85 million contract for Glock 19 and 17 handguns back in June.